The Hungarian Armed Forces reported that on August 10 and 17, 2022, the first two German 155 mm/52 self-propelled PzH 2000 howitzers of new production, out of 24 ordered under the 2018 contract, were delivered to the base of the 25th Infantry Brigade of the Hungarian Army in Tata.
The first German 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzer PzH 2000 of new production received by the Hungarian armed Forces. Tata, 10.08.2022 (c) The Hungarian Armed Forces Recall that in December 2018, the Hungarian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the purchase of 44 Leopard 2A7+ (Leopard 2A7HU) main tanks, 24 self-propelled howitzers PzH 2000 caliber 155 mm/52 new construction, as well as 12 Leopard 2A4 tanks (Leopard 2A4HU) from the availability for use as training, eight armored vehicles of new construction based on the Leopard 2 tank (five armored repair and evacuation vehicles Wisent 2 and three tank bridge pavers) and 13 heavy military vehicles Rheinmetall RMMV HX and TGS.
The official value of the contract was announced as more than 160 billion Hungarian forints (about 500 million euros), but actually amounts to 1.5 billion euros.
12 Leopard 2A4HU training tanks purchased under this contract were delivered to Hungary during 2020, the delivery of new production Leopard 2A7+ (Leopard 2A7HU) tanks and vehicles based on them is expected from 2023 to 2025. Deliveries of the newly built PzH 2000 self-propelled guns have been started only now - with a delay of about six months in relation to the contract schedule - and should be carried out until the end of 2023.
The production of Leopard 2A7+ (Leopard 2A7HU) tanks and PzH 2000 self-propelled guns for Hungary is carried out by KMW in cooperation with Rheinmetall Group, the latter manufactures the main armament (120 mm Rh120 L55A1 tank guns and 155 mm/52 howitzers), fire control systems, as well as armored hulls for Leopard 2A7+ tanks ordered by Hungary and self-propelled howitzers PzH 2000. Rheinmertall Group also manufactures chassis parts for the PzH 2000 ACS. The assembly of the PZH 2000 is carried out at the KMW plant in Kassel.
For KMW, the contract for the supply of Leopard 2A7+ tanks and PzH 2000 self-propelled guns of Hungary became the first contract for the production and supply of new tanks of the Leopad 2 family and these self-propelled guns after the 2013 contract for the supply of 62 Leopard 2A7+ tanks and 24 PzH 2000 self-propelled guns to Qatar, implemented in 2015-2017. Thus, the Hungarian contract made it possible for German industry to maintain production lines for the production of Leopard 2 tanks and PzH 2000.24 self-propelled guns received by Hungary, the PzH 2000 self-propelled guns should enter service with the 25th Infantry Brigade (MH 25. Klapka György Lövészdandár) in Tata, the only deployed 101st Artillery Division in the Hungarian Army (101. Ágyútarackos Tüzérosztály), which had only 12 towed howitzers D-20 caliber 152 mm.
Accordingly, Leopard 2 tanks should make up the match of the only deployed 11th tank battalion in the Hungarian army of the same 25th Infantry Brigade (which had only 15 T-72M1 tanks in service until 2020).
The first two received by the Hungarian armed forces German 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzers PzH 2000 of new production, out of 24 ordered. Tata, August 2022 (c) Hungarian Armed Forces